“Arrested for Wearing Trousers: How the Van Buren Sisters Rode Across America in 1916”
In 1916, sisters Adeline and Augusta Van Buren set out on an ambitious and daring adventure: to ride their motorcycles from New York all the way to California.At a time when most people believed women shouldn’t even ride motorcycles — let alone travel across the country unaccompanied — the Van Buren sisters refused to listen to the critics.They climbed onto their bikes, engines roaring, and embarked on a long, difficult journey across America’s dusty and often treacherous roads.
The trip was incredibly challenging. They faced harsh weather, deep mud, heavy rain, and rugged mountain terrain. However, the biggest obstacle wasn’t the road conditions — it was the clothes they wore. For safety and practicality, the sisters rode in trousers instead of dresses. In 1916, this was considered highly scandalous and improper for women.
They were stopped and arrested multiple times by local police — not for speeding or causing trouble, but simply for the “crime” of wearing pants.Each time, the sisters calmly paid their fines and got back on their motorcycles without giving up. With remarkable grit and determination, they completed their historic journey, becoming the first women to ride motorcycles across the United States.In doing so, they proved that nothing — not outdated rules or societal expectations — could hold them back.
